2009 in review: sheep go to heaven edition

editor's note: the following is shamelessly stolen from laurie jayne, who stole it from someone else.... so help yourself.

jeff gustafson

editor-in-chief

sheep go to heaven

What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

learned computer animation. went on a fly fishing rafting trip. photographed a bear. was the d.p. on some commercials.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions?

technically, i directed a commercial. nothing glamorous, but that was on my list. didn't learn photoshop like i'd planned, but did learn maya, and that counts for something. sadly, didn't bang out tunes on the piano or accordion like i'd planned. and when i pulled out my accordion a few weeks ago, it sounded out of tune, but that may be me.

What are some of your resolutions for 2010?
i'm trying to divide them into groups: intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual. i want to retreat into my social shell less, though i'm not sure how to quantify that one yet. and i want to get into keeping a regular journal again. this blog usurped that when it began, and it's great, but still not the same.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
no, but i was still having fun with my baby nephew.

Did anyone close to you die?
just my mac. one and a half times, actually.

What countries did you visit?
the imagi-nation. and texas, which kind of counts.

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

someone to watch movies with.

What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
aug.17: my 30th birthday with my mom and brother desperately trying to finish a very intricate "wall-e" cake in a kitchen without running water while we were playing four square out front. it came off marvelously.

nov.6: the tmbg "flood" concert was sheer bliss and elation.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

wedging my way into byu's animation department and the paradigm shift it represented.

What was your biggest failure?

that time i asked that girl for her friend's phone number.

Did you suffer illness or injury?

my eyes got really, really puffy and swollen for a few days. i walked into the first day in my new ward looking like i had been crying all morning. thankfully, jaime could recommend a good optometrist.

What was the best thing you bought?

rock band 2.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
me, for being stubborn and stoic and cold at times.

society, for mocking and laughing at michael jackson for years, then gushing about how much they loved him after he was dead. i had no idea he was so universally beloved, and i don't think he did, either.

runner up: joe/aaron, if it's true.

Where did most of your money go?

besides the obvious rent? criterion. ; ) (not really, but still...)

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

that tally hall agreed to come and play a concert at cheryl's elementary school.

What song will always remind you of 2009?
i can still name the songs that personify several different years of being a teenager, but this is a bit trickier.

owl city's "fireflies" is the song most entrenched in the sound of the day.

any number of our favorite rock band songs ("shipping up to boston", "long time", et al.) will recall this year.

Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, richer, nicer?
happier: feeling better about the future, that's for sure. richer: nope, this was a rough year for work, but i'm still making it. nicer: i hope so.

What do you wish you'd done more of?

practice my accordion, photography, and running.

What do you wish you'd done less of?

listening to my fears.

How did you spend Christmas?

surrounded by an excellent minnesota blizzard.

Did you fall in love in 2009?

every time i watched "wall-e."

What was your favorite TV program?

yelling at 24 with my friends and laughing with the office surrounded by a similar group of friends.

What was the best book you read this year?

fast food nation kept me entertained on plane rides, but the last lecture is so good and invigorating that i've been savoring it in very small bites, hoping to make it last as long as possible.

What did you want and get?

a solid group of friends, to continue teaching sunday school, and the seventh seal on blu-ray.

i guess it was this year that i got rid of my screeching tv and replaced it with my new one. i like that.

What were your favorite films of this year?

up. nothing else has come close. ponyo was absolutely delightful and me and orson welles was fascinating to watch, and there are still several i need to see.

criterion introduced me to several that were so good i wanted to scream: my dinner with andre, ran, last year at marienbad, jeanne dielman, and some of jean painleve's documentaries.

What were your least favorite films of this year?

nine reminded me that i'm not too desensitized and harry potter 6 wasn't as good as it should have been. at byu's international cinema, i don't need to ever see eyes without a face again.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

i turned 30 and celebrated the heck out of it: two parties for different eras of friends, playing four square and rock band, an incredible "wall-e" birthday cake, and talking late with several good friends.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
getting to go to the tally hall kids show and to master turning my brain down to "medium" and enjoy the moment.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
buying the "three kittens playing keyboard under a full moon" t-shirt. that sums it up.

What kept you sane?

movie nights.

Who did you miss?

jess and pretty much all of my married friends.

Who was the best new person (people) you met?

brooke became an essential part of our group and re-meeting president sam and having him move in is pretty great.

people i legitimately did not know in 08: alan bradshaw, the lighting lead on byu's xing film: he's as knowledgeable as he is kind and continues to be a great help for me.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

i've been compiling a whole list to be coming shortly.

What are you most excited for in 2010?

the unexpected. a year ago, i wouldn't have known to write even half of what i've praised in 2009.

What are you least excited for in 2010?

if i had to take a deathly cold shower, that'll be it.